The World | IN BRIEF / BRITAIN

Justice Overhaul to End Double Jeopardy

Britain will scrap its legal protection against double jeopardy and make tougher sentences available to judges as part of a major overhaul of the country's criminal justice system, Prime Minister Tony Blair said in a newspaper article.

Writing in the Observer, he said the changes were intended to redress an imbalance that favored criminals instead of crime victims. Protection against double jeopardy forbids authorities to charge a defendant twice with the same crime.

Lawyers and civil liberties groups said the proposals outlined by Blair were misguided and may lead to an increase in the number of innocent people being jailed.